Google spin-off Verily is working on weight-watching, fall-detecting shoes

Verily is one of the other companies besides Google under the Alphabet umbrella, and the experimental, innovative "life sciences" firm apparently has some interesting tech on the way – smart shoes that can track your weight and detect falls.

The news comes from sources speaking to CNBC, sources who say it's still early days for the shoes but that prototypes are already being shown off. As you might expect, the footwear will also track the steps you take through the day, saving you the hassle of strapping a fitness tracker to your wrist.

Fall detection is of course something that's built into the latest Apple Watch. It's particularly reassuring for elderly users, who can rely on their wearable to alert friends and family should they take a tumble and not be able to get up again.

The future of wearables

Verily is apparently still shopping around for partners to help bring the smart shoes to market, but whether or not they ever see the light of day as a consumer product, it's an interesting hint at the way the industry is moving.

The wearables of the future may well come built right into our clothing, not just tracking essential activity and fitness data, but also doing more with that data – identifying possible health issues that need checking out. Smart shoes could spot sudden weight gain that might otherwise be missed, for example

Verily is also working on a smart spoon that can reduce hand shake in those with movement disorders, as well as a smart contact lens to improve vision. In the past the company has also demoed its own smartwatch, though it never went on sale.